Wednesday, July 27, 2016

The
temple priests perform the pooja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis.
As at other Vishnu temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to the Vaishnavaite community, one of Brahmin sub-caste. The temple
rituals are performed six times a day: Ushathkalam at 7 a.m., Kalasanthi at
8:00 a.m., Uchikalam at 12:00 p.m., Sayarakshai at
6:00 p.m., Irandamkalam at 7:00 p.m. and Ardha
Jamam at 10:00 p.m.

Each
ritual has three steps: Alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food
offering) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Ulagalantha
Perumal and Amuthavalli. During the last step of worship, nagaswaram (pipe instrument) & tavil (percussion instrument) are played, religious
instructions in the Vedas (sacred text) are recited by priests, and
worshippers prostrate themselves in front of the temple mast.

There
are weekly, monthly and fortnightly rituals performed in the temple. There
are two major festivals celebrated in the temple - Brahmotsavam during
the Tamil month of Thai (January - February) and Vamana
Jayanthi during the Tamil month of Avani (August - September)
on Sravanam star. Vaikunda Ekadasi is grandly celebrated in the
temple in Tamil Margazhi covering December-January. Onam Festival. Navarathri,
Kaarthigai, Panguni Utsavam are the other festivals celebrated with much
fanfare.